One of Diamond's new films is The Survivor, a film that tells the story of a boxer named Haft who survived the Holocaust in the Auschwitz concentration camp fighting against his comrades to survive. Haunted by the memories and guilt of those times, he tries to continue through high-level fights to reunite with his first love: Leah, his childhood sweetheart. Based on the book written by Haft's son, Alan Scott Haft, the novel chronicles his father's ordeal in the Holocaust. The story was a great inspiration for both the director and screenwriter of the film.
The screenplay brought back important memories for acclaimed director Barry Levinson. When he was a child, he woke up every night curious and frightened because he heard moans and muffled screams from a man across the hall. The man spoke in a different language and seemed to recall a traumatic experience from his past. Years later, the director discovered that his neighbor was a Holocaust survivor and again recognized him, this time, in the pages of The Survivor screenplay. On the other hand, the screenwriter, Justine Juel Gillmer, has a personal connection to the events of World War II: her maternal grandmother had been part of the Danish resistance movement.
Levinson and Gillmer worked together to make sure that this story was portrayed in the best possible way and that it reflected everything that goes into trying to break free from an undiagnosed condition, post-traumatic stress disorder, which takes place when a person is haunted by memories after experiencing a shocking or dangerous event.
The Survivor features a superb cast, including Ben Foster (Lone Survivor, 360), Peter Sarsgaard (Jackie), Danny DeVito, and John Leguizamo. It is a motivational and moving film that invites you to reflect on life after a terrifying event and the strength and faith it takes to move forward.
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